Flue-cleaner.



No. 69a,|74. 'Patented Apr. 22; |902.A

n ovn y FLUE GLEANEFH Y- (Appl 1: n x a J xy 29 1901 (No Model.)

r l @aways UNITED STATES f .PATENT OFFICE,

DAVID BOYD, on LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent` No. 698,174, dated .April 22,1902.

Application nea Iuiy 29, 1901. sentira. vente (No man.)

To all zik/hom itfntty concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID BOYD, aoitizen l of the United States, residing at Louisville,

in the county of Jeiferson and `Statefof Kentucky, have invented a neWand usefullllue-V Cleaner, ofwliich the following isa-:specification. t v c My .invention relates to certain improve` mentsin flue-cleaners, and has vfor itsobject a device for creating 'a partial vacuum, and

' the tube to remove the accumulationsofsootl i myinvention g' and Fig.

vto provide a'devicel of -thisconstruction which will quickly and thoroughly effect theremoval of soot andcscale from the interior of boiler tubes and flues,as more particularly described hereinafter.

In the accompanying draWings,'Figurel is` an elevation,partly insection ,of a flue-cleaner constructed andarrangedin accordance with 2 is a perspective View of the same. y l 1 In carrying out Inyfin'vent-iony I propose to employ at the forward vend of lthe tube or `flue so inducing the flow of a current of air through or scale. In order to loosen the deposit and more thoroughly cleanse the flues, Iempl'oy one or morecleaningwheels havingsuitable l` l means for effectimg `their reciprocation from end to end of the'iue, such vWheels being so mounted and constructed as to be rapidly rcvolved under the iliuen'ce of theair-current.

Referring to the drawings,'1vrepresents a curved discharge-pipe havingan upwardly-` extending nozzle2 and a'horizontally-extending annular portion'f, adapted to enter the preferably of a size equal to the smaller-size tubes and adapted to t snugly therein, suitable bushingsk or collars 4 being employed when :it is desired tol Iit the same within the end of a tube of greater diameter.

Within the nozzle 2 and having its center coincident with the center of said nozzle is a` small steam-nozzle 5, the lower portion fof which is in communication withla steam-pipe 6, connected by a iiexible pipe or hose 7 to the boiler, the quantity of steamand-the area of the discharge-nozzle 5 being such as to cause the device to operate on the principle of an injector and induce the flow of a current of air from the rear to the front of the flue or tube. The steam-pipe 7 is connected to a pipe 8 of some considerable length and formingl j vhandleby ,Whichthe device may be operated at i l. y

a convenient distance fromthe tube-sheet of from the ceiling `ofthe fire-room.

The dirt-loosenin g devices comprsefone orf has Vits outer end guided in a suitable open.-

more Wheels 12, 'secured to va hub 13,1whicl1 l y may freely rotate on acentral shaft or axis 14,11 which yextends out through the casing 1 and ingin a handle 15,'depending from thesteampipe. Thiszshaft or axis 14 forms 'an operat-` in grod for effectingthe reciprocation ofthe ywheels 12 Yfromend Ato end of the ilue, such wheels being guided and heldcentrally withiny Y .the ilue by guides 16,"forme`dof radially-arf` ranged platesllr'?, clampedto'the shaft or axis let, the radial projection of such platesl being c greater at the 'ends' adjacent vto the Wheels '12 than at the opposite ends to provide lfor their ready insertion Within the tubes.

c Each wheel12 is formed-of a series ofi radi-g.`1v l n ating blades of gradually-increasing Width. 8o clined at such an angle'that the current of airI g passing through the tube will cause them to! .i i rapidly revolve and -by contact with the insootor i '185 In operation the annular end3 of the cas? f ing 1 and the cleaning wheel or wheels 12 are l i from the hub to 'the circumference and inner surface of the tube displace any scale which mayv have formed.`

inserted Withinthe end of the tube to be cleaned, the nozzle portion being turned l in the line of the chimney-flue. l On introduction of steam through the nozzle 5 a vacuumv Will be created at the forward end of the tube, 'f

such Wheels meantime being moved back and forthfrom end to end of the tube bythe'op-v and the flow of a currentof air w11v.vbekin duced, which will cause wheels 12 to revolve,

been cleaned, the loosened dirt'and scale being carriedbythe air-current and vdischarged c through the nozzle 2.

It will be understood that various modifications in the sizes, proportions, and details vof structure may be made Without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention,.what I clailn is 1.v A flue-cleaning device comprising in combination, an upwardly-curved discharge nozzle or pipe having one of its ends adapted To be temporarily secured within the end of the fine, a steam-nozzle located within the discharge end of the pipe and adapted to create a partial vacuum at the end of the Hue, a rod passing through the Wall of said tube and of a length greater than that of the flue to be cleaned, and a rotatable scaling-Wheel mounted on said rod and having vanes adapted to be revolved by the current of air induced through the fine, substantially as speciiied.

2. A fluecleaning device, comprising a curved discharge-pipe having an annular end adapted to fit Within the end of the fine and a nozzle-shaped discharge end, a steaursu pmounted on said axis and adapted to be rev Volved by a current of air passing through the tube and tapering guiding-plates clamped to said axis on opposite sides of the pair of Wheels, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as iny own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

DAVID BOYD.

Vitnesses:

J. H. LINNEY, Liman EISENMENGER. 

